space engineers lcd panel not displaying information brands

I placed a screen on my ship and it doesn"t want to show me text and textures. I"m the owner and the screen has power, but when I write stuff on the public/private area or if I assign a texture there is "Online" written on the screen and nothing else

It does not only affect texts that are created with the API, but according to my observations, also texts that are written normally via the editor in the terminal.

It does not only affect texts that are created with the API, but according to my observations, also texts that are written normally via the editor in the terminal.

For anyone curious following this. You can still use traditional LCD panels and the WriteText() method for your updating displays in dedicated servers.

For anyone curious following this. You can still use traditional LCD panels and the WriteText() method for your updating displays in dedicated servers.

I tried to put it on another ship but it gave me the same problem, the ships were all naturally less than 600 meters away, and I checked the requirements several times.

I tried to put it on another ship but it gave me the same problem, the ships were all naturally less than 600 meters away, and I checked the requirements several times.

Joined my friend"s game hosted by him. Non-dedicated server. I made a blueprint with a couple scripts loaded in, tested that everything worked in single player, but when we used it in multiplayer only the host could see the scripts update. The text doesn"t get sent to clients. It updates every detail of a panel but not the text. All LCDs, cockpit LCDs, programmable block LCDs, etc don"t update. Opening the panel shows there is no text but the host confirmed the panel is not blank and is updating for him.

Joined my friend"s game hosted by him. Non-dedicated server. I made a blueprint with a couple scripts loaded in, tested that everything worked in single player, but when we used it in multiplayer only the host could see the scripts update. The text doesn"t get sent to clients. It updates every detail of a panel but not the text. All LCDs, cockpit LCDs, programmable block LCDs, etc don"t update. Opening the panel shows there is no text but the host confirmed the panel is not blank and is updating for him.

Can confirm this bug. This bug seems to apply to both DS and Non-DS and the problem only happens for the connected clients, not the host (Networking issue?). The screen is updated for the host but not the client until the client reconnects where the current displayed image/text will be refreshed and stay that way until you reconnect again. Using "IMyTextSurface.GetText()" will return the correct text that is supposed to be displayed.

Can confirm this bug. This bug seems to apply to both DS and Non-DS and the problem only happens for the connected clients, not the host (Networking issue?). The screen is updated for the host but not the client until the client reconnects where the current displayed image/text will be refreshed and stay that way until you reconnect again. Using "IMyTextSurface.GetText()" will return the correct text that is supposed to be displayed.

It"s still not working for any of my scripts. Locally I can update the text on a cockpit display fine, but doing so on a dedicated server does not actually update the visible text. Am I doing this wrong, or was it marked as Solved when not actually Solved?

It"s still not working for any of my scripts. Locally I can update the text on a cockpit display fine, but doing so on a dedicated server does not actually update the visible text. Am I doing this wrong, or was it marked as Solved when not actually Solved?

yes. you can also see the resulting text if you try to manually edit the text. you just cannot see it on the outside surface. This is still an issue on my DS, but only after other players join the server. It works fine when I am alone on the server as the host.

yes. you can also see the resulting text if you try to manually edit the text. you just cannot see it on the outside surface. This is still an issue on my DS, but only after other players join the server. It works fine when I am alone on the server as the host.

It seems that the programmer block has a new bug, not important but PB screen cannot be set to anything, it stays on the "No Content" image event with simple text or image or script (ex: digital / analog clock).

It seems that the programmer block has a new bug, not important but PB screen cannot be set to anything, it stays on the "No Content" image event with simple text or image or script (ex: digital / analog clock).

Note: Space Engineers currently does not support nVidia/AMD 3D vision and it should be disabled in the nVidia/AMD control panel, otherwise it can cause various issues.

Provide as much detailed information as you can. Write a synopsis of what you were doing before the error happened. Taking a screenshot of the bug or a video may also also help. Support staff will request additional information as is needed.

Many of the most common issues experienced while playing Space Engineers can be resolved without assistance. Choose any of the below categories according to the problem that you are experiencing. If you can’t find a solution in any of the suggested solutions, please report your problem at our dedicated support site by following the above guide.

Solution: Open %appdata%\SpaceEngineers\SpaceEngineers.cfg in a plain text editor like notepad. Find GraphicsRenderer – it is usually near the top. Change its value to DirectX 11.

Solution: This is caused by hardware and driver support issues mentioned above. We recommend using the latest drivers directly from the hardware designers. We do NOT recommend the use of “Beta” drivers.

Cannot create log file: System.UnauthorizedAccessException: Access to the path ‘C:\Users\YourUserNameHere\AppData\Roaming\SpaceEngineers\SpaceEngineers.log’ is denied.

Solution: Some users are reporting this problem after switching to Windows 10. In some cases we have found that the users have copied files from their old operating system to the new one. In other cases it seems to be an issue created by the Windows 10 upgrade. This creates the problem where the old files have different ownership credentials from the new user account on Windows 10. This prevents Space Engineers from accessing them.

It has been reported that some 3rd party programs can cause in-game issues, game not starting or black screen. In this case, you will have to disable these programs in order to run the game. Below is the list of the 3rd party programs that have been reported so far.

After many requests, we have decided to release our internal Replay Tool that we use to create our trailers. It allows you to record the movement and actions of multiple characters in the same world. You can use your video recording software of choice to capture these moments for cinematic purposes! It’s also super useful for epic screenshot creation. The tool allows you to be the director of your own Space Engineers film where you can carefully position and time different engineers with their own specific roles. We are extremely excited to see what the community will create with this!

Important: because it’s an internal tool, it has a very basic user interface and required advanced users to be used. We believe this is OK, because most video creators who would want to use it to create epic cinematic Space Engineers videos are advanced users.

There are now Steam trading cards to collect for Space Engineers! Collect a full set of cards to earn items that help you customize your Steam profile including backgrounds and badges.

There are fourteen new decorative blocks for people who want to buy them and support the development of Space Engineers, which are available on the Space Engineers Steam Store page. Within the package you will get following new blocks:

Beds can preserve characters’ inventory and toolbar while they"re offline and keeps them alive as long as there is oxygen available. Is considered to be the same as the Cryo Chamber Block, except oxygen is used from the environment. Space Engineers don’t work from nine to five, they work whenever they’re needed: day or night, during peace and war. But when it’s time to call it a day, every engineer looks forward to resting in these beds.

Standard and Corner Desks can be used as seats, which allow players to sit on the chair attached to it. Combine these blocks to produce various designs and sizes, creativity has no limitation. Whether designing new schematics or charting a fresh course to another world, desks are essential for any engineer looking to get some work done.

Kitchens are purely decorative. The kitchens in Space Engineers come well-equipped and include stunning visual details. Space Engineers overcome challenges everyday when they’re working on new planets or among the stars.

Planters are purely decorative, but they make outer space a bit warmer by housing life in a special glass container. Build your own garden on the space station. Planters not only help to liven up spaces, but the flora housed inside these capsules also remind many engineers of the homes they’ve left behind in order to explore the universe.

Couchescan be used as seats, so take your time to relax and take a break. You don’t need to always run, fly or work, you can enjoy your cozy room and enjoy the view. The last thing anyone would ever call a Space Engineer is ‘couch potato’, but who wouldn’t like to relax after a hard day’s work on this comfy furniture?

Armory and Armory Lockers can be used to decorate interiors and store weapons, ammunition, tools and bottles; both are small storages (400L), where you can keep your equipment. Space Engineers use lockers in order to ensure that keepsakes from home, toiletries and other items are kept safe.

Toiletscan be used as a seat. The latest and greatest interstellar lavatory technology has made many earth dwellers jealous of the facilities enjoyed by Space Engineers.

Toilet Seat that can be used as a seat and is fit for the creator of the legendary Red Ship; most engineers don’t want to get up after ‘taking care of business’.

Industrial Cockpits are used to control your ships. This industrial cockpit in both small and large grid versions will make your creations look much better. Offering unmatched visibility, the industrial cockpit enables engineers to experience stunning vistas while traversing landscapes and space.

Console blocks project blueprints for downscaled ships and stations, as well as display pictograms or customizable text. They are fantastic functional LCD panels where you can project your creations and show them to your friends. The sleek and crystal clear picture offered by this console allows Space Engineers to display designs and other important information.

*Note to modders: When modding the decorative blocks, copy the current settings and then do the change on top of that. The mod will also include the DLC tag:

Keen Software House needs to stay profitable in order to continue development and support of Space Engineers, and to take risks, to invest into experiments that may not pay off in the short term, and to develop innovative concepts.

A:Actually, even this update isn’t paid. The major part of this update (LCD screens, Replay Tool, new music tracks, smaller improvements) is free for everyone. Only the smaller and not mandatory part is paid - Decorative Pack, which you can purchase here.

A: To support future development of Space Engineers and other leading-edge projects we plan to work on at Keen Software House. Players kept asking us for something they could buy to support the development of Space Engineers, and the Decorative Pack is a great option for them.

A: Right after Space Engineers left early access and all hot issues were resolved. Most of the work was done by the Art team, the rest of the developers is working on other long-term updates.

A: We want more people to play Space Engineers, which means we must lower the barrier of entry. When the Space Engineers community grows, everyone benefits from this - more content on Workshop, more mods, more new ideas, more people to play with. This means that all non-mandatory features should be optional, so only those who really want them can pay for them. That’s why we decreased the price of Space Engineers, and made the Decorative Pack an optional purchase.

A: Hehe, if you put it this way, it sounds kind of funny. But the reality is that decorative blocks are low-hanging fruit, not a bottleneck towards those other mentioned future features. Additionally, the decorative pack can bring added profit and make the mentioned things happen.

Looking at our upcoming plans, I can say that we are going to work on another package similar to this one. It’s not a secret that we want to bring you more things you asked for in the past, such as new skins, new weapons, new economy system etc.

So, why is this important? A monitor’s panel technology is important because it affects what the monitor can do and for which uses it is best suited. Each of the monitor panel types listed above offer their own distinctive benefits and drawbacks.

Choosing which type of monitor panel type to buy will depend largely on your intended usage and personal preference. After all, gamers, graphic designers, and office workers all have different requirements. Specific types of displays are best suited for different usage scenarios.

The reason for this is because none of the different monitor panel types as they are today can be classified as “outstanding” for all of the attributes mentioned above.

Below we’ll take a look at how IPS, TN, and VA monitors affect screen performance and do some handy summaries of strengths, weaknesses, and best-case uses for each type of panel technology.

IPS monitors or “In-Plane Switching” monitors, leverage liquid crystals aligned in parallel to produce rich colors. IPS panels are defined by the shifting patterns of their liquid crystals. These monitors were designed to overcome the limitations of TN panels. The liquid crystal’s ability to shift horizontally creates better viewing angles.

IPS monitor variations include S-IPS, H-IPS, e-IPS and P-IPS, and PLS (Plane-to-Line Switching), the latter being the latest iteration. Since these variations are all quite similar, they are all collectively referred to as “IPS-type” panels. They all claim to deliver the major benefits associated with IPS monitors – great color and ultra-wide viewing angles.

Another important characteristic of IPS monitors is that they are able to support professional color space technologies, such as Adobe RGB. This is due to the fact that IPS monitors are able to offer more displayable colors, which help improve color accuracy.

With regard to gaming, some criticisms IPS monitors include more visible motion blur coming as a result of slower response times, however the impact of motion blur will vary from user to user. In fact, mixed opinions about the “drawbacks” of IPS monitor for gaming can be found all across the web. Take this excerpt from one gaming technology writer for example: “As for pixel response, opinions vary. I personally think IPS panels are quick enough for almost all gaming. If your gaming life is absolutely and exclusively about hair-trigger shooters, OK, you’ll want the fastest response, lowest latency LCD monitor. And that means TN. For the rest of us, and certainly for those who place even a modicum of importance on the visual spectacle of games, I reckon IPS is clearly the best panel technology.” Read the full article here.

IPS monitors deliver ultra-wide 178-degree vertical and horizontal viewing angles. Graphic designers, CAD engineers, pro photographers, and video editors will benefit from using an IPS monitor. Many value the color benefits of IPS monitors and tech advances have improved IPS panel speed, contrast, and resolution. IPS monitors are more attractive than ever for general desktop work as well as many types of gaming. They’re even versatile enough to be used in different monitor styles, so if you’ve ever compared an ultrawide vs. dual monitor setup or considered the benefits of curved vs. flat monitors, chances are you’ve already come into contact with an IPS panel.

TN monitors, or “Twisted Nematic” monitors, are the oldest LCD panel types around. TN panels cost less than their IPS and VA counterparts and are a popular mainstream display technology for desktop and laptop displays.

Despite their lower perceived value, TN-based displays are the panel type preferred by competitive gamers. The reason for this is because TN panels can achieve a rapid response time and the fastest refresh rates on the market (like this 240Hz eSports monitor). To this effect, TN monitors are able to reduce blurring and screen tearing in fast-paced games when compared to an IPS or VA panel.

On the flip side, however, TN panel technology tends to be ill-suited for applications that benefit from wider viewing angles, higher contrast ratios, and better color accuracy. That being said, LED technology has helped shift the perspective and today’s LED-backlit TN models offer higher brightness along with better blacks and higher contrast ratios.

The greatest constraint of TN panel technology, however, is a narrower viewing angle as TN monitors experience more color shifting than other types of panels when being viewed at an angle.

Today’s maximum possible viewing angles are 178 degrees both horizontally and vertically (178º/178º), yet TN panels are limited to viewing angles of approximately 170 degrees horizontal and 160 degrees vertical (170º /160º).

TN monitors are the least expensive panel technology, making them ideal for cost-conscious businesses and consumers. In addition, TN monitors enjoy unmatched popularity with competitive gamers and other users who seek rapid graphics display.

Vertical alignment (VA) panel technology was developed to improve upon the drawbacks of TN. Current VA-based monitors offer muchhigher contrast, better color reproduction, and wider viewing angles than TN panels. Variations you may see include P-MVA, S-MVA, and AMVA (Advanced MVA).

These high-end VA-type monitors rival IPS monitors as the best panel technology for professional-level color-critical applications. One of the standout features of VA technology is that it is particularly good at blocking light from the backlight when it’s not needed. This enables VA panels to display deeper blacks and static contrast ratios of up to several times higher than the other LCD technologies. The benefit of this is that VA monitors with high contrast ratios can deliver intense blacks and richer colors.

Contrast ratio is the measured difference between the darkest blacks and the brightest whites a monitor can produce. This measurement provides information about the amount of grayscale detail a monitor will deliver. The higher the contrast ratio, the more visible detail.

MVA and other recent VA technologies offer the highest static contrast ratios of any panel technology. This allows for an outstanding visual experience for movie enthusiasts and other users seeking depth of detail. Higher-end, feature-rich MVA displays offer the consistent, authentic color representation needed by graphic designers and other pro users.

There is another type of panel technology that differs from the monitor types discussed above and that is OLED or “Organic Light Emitting Diode” technology. OLEDs differ from LCDs because they use positively/negatively charged ions to light up every pixel individually, while LCDs use a backlight, which can create an unwanted glow. OLEDs avoid screen glow (and create darker blacks) by not using a backlight. One of the drawbacks of OLED technology is that it is usually pricier than any of the other types of technology explained.

When it comes to choosing the right LCD panel technology, there is no single right answer. Each of the three primary technologies offers distinct strengths and weaknesses. Looking at different features and specs helps you identify which monitor best fits your needs.

LCD or “Liquid Crystal Display” is a type of monitor panel that embraces thin layers of liquid crystals sandwiched between two layers of filters and electrodes.

While CRT monitors used to fire electrons against glass surfaces, LCD monitors operate using backlights and liquid crystals. The LCD panel is a flat sheet of material that contains layers of filters, glass, electrodes, liquid crystals, and a backlight. Polarized light (meaning only half of it shines through) is directed towards a rectangular grid of liquid crystals and beamed through.

Note: When searching for monitors you can be sure to come across the term “LED Panel” at some point or another. An LED panel is an LCD screen with an LED – (Light Emitting Diode) – backlight. LEDs provide a brighter light source while using much less energy. They also have the ability to produce white color, in addition to traditional RGB color, and are the panel type used in HDR monitors.

Early LCD panels used passive-matrix technology and were criticized for blurry imagery. The reason for this is because quick image changes require liquid crystals to change phase quickly and passive matrix technology was limited in terms of how quickly liquid crystals could change phase.

Thanks to active-matrix technology, LCD monitor panels were able to change images very quickly and the technology began being used by newer LCD panels.

Ultimately, budget and feature preferences will determine the best fit for each user. Among the available monitors of each panel type there will also be a range of price points and feature sets. Additionally, overall quality may vary among manufacturers due to factors related to a display’s components, manufacturing, and design.

Alternatively, if you’re into gaming and are in the market for TN panel these gaming monitor options may be along the lines of what you’re looking for.

Again, IPS is the clear winner here. The vertical viewing angles are very similar to the horizontal ones on both IPS and VA panels. Unfortunately, this is one area where TN panels are usually much, much worse. TN monitors degrade rapidly from below, and colors actually inverse - resulting in a negative image that can be distracting. For this reason, if you decide to buy a TN monitor, look for one with an excellent height adjustment, or consider buying a VESA mounting arm, as you should mount TN monitors at eye level. Even when mounted properly, larger TN displays can appear non-uniform at the edges.

There"s usually not much difference between VA and IPS panels in terms of gray uniformity. It"s rare for monitors to have uniformity issues, and even on monitors that perform worse than average, it"s usually not noticeable with regular content. TN monitors tend to perform a bit worse than usual, though, and the top half of the screen is almost always darker than the rest, but that"s an artifact of the bad vertical viewing angles.

Black uniformity tends to vary significantly, even between individual units of the same model, and there"s no single panel type that performs the best. It"s rare for monitors to have good black uniformity, and almost every monitor we"ve tested has some noticeable cloudiness or backlight bleed. IPS and TN panels can look slightly worse due to their low contrast ratios, as the screen can take on more of a bluish tint when displaying dark scenes. Like with contrast, black uniformity issues usually aren"t very noticeable unless you"re looking at dark content and you"re in a dark room. If you only use your monitor in a bright environment, generally speaking, you don"t need to worry about black uniformity.

Historically, TN panels used to have the worst colors, as many of them were cheaper models that only supported 6-bit colors or used techniques like dithering (FRC) to approximate 8-bit colors. Most displays today, including TN models, are at least 8 bit, and many of them are even able to approximate 10-bit colors through dithering. New technologies, like LG"s Nano IPS and Samsung"s Quantum Dot, add an extra layer to the LCD stack and have significantly improved the color gamut of modern IPS and VA displays, leaving TN a bit behind. Between them, NANO IPS is slightly better, as it tends to offer better coverage of the Adobe RGB color space. Although the difference is minor, IPS panels still have a slight edge over VA and TN displays.

Although TN panels have caught up a bit in the SDR color space, they"re far behind when it comes to HDR, so if you"re looking for a good HDR color gamut, avoid TN panels. Between VA and IPS panels, the difference isn"t as significant; however, IPS panels still have a slight edge. The best VA panels top out at around 90% coverage of the DCI P3 color space used by most current HDR content. IPS panels go as high as 98% coverage of DCI P3, rivaling even some of the best TVs on the market. Due to the very high coverage of DCI P3 on both VA and IPS, the difference isn"t that noticeable, though, as most content won"t use the entire color space anyway.

Although not necessarily as noticeable to everyone as the differences in picture quality, there can also be a difference in motion handling between IPS, VA, and TN displays. TN panels historically offered the best gaming performance, as they had the highest refresh rates and extremely fast response times. Manufacturers have found ways to drastically improve the motion handling of VA and IPS panels, though, and the difference isn"t as pronounced.

LCD panel technology has changed drastically over the last few years, and the historical expectations for response time performance don"t necessarily hold anymore. For years, TN monitors had the fastest response times by far, but that"s started to change. New high refresh-rate IPS monitors can be just as fast.

VA panels are a bit of a strange situation. They typically have slightly slower response times overall compared to similar TN or IPS models. It"s especially noticeable in near-black scenes, where they tend to be significantly slower, resulting in dark trails behind fast-moving objects in dark scenes, commonly known as black smear. Some recent VA panels, such as the Samsung Odyssey G7 LC32G75T, get around it by overdriving the pixels. It results in much better dark scene performance but a more noticeable overshoot in brighter areas.

The examples listed above aren"t perfect. The average response time metrics shown don"t necessarily show the whole picture. Monitors also usually offer a certain level of control over the pixel overdrive, so it"s possible to adjust the response time to match your usage and personal preference. Some overdrive settings deliver a sharper image but introduce overshoot and reverse ghosting artifacts, while other modes might not be as sharp but have no distracting artifacts. You can learn more about our response time testing here.

Within each of the three types of LCD we mentioned, other related panel types use the same basic idea but with slight differences. For example, two popular variants of IPS panels include ADS (technically known as ADSDS, or Advanced Super Dimension Switch) and PLS (Plane to Line Switching). It can be hard to tell these panels apart simply based on the subpixel structure, so we"ll usually group them all as IPS, and in the text, we"ll usually refer to them as IPS-like or IPS family. There are slight differences in colors, viewing angles, and contrast, but generally speaking, they"re all very similar.

There"s another display technology that"s growing in popularity: OLED. OLED, or organic light-emitting diode, is very different from the conventional LCD technology we"ve explored above. OLED panels are electro-emissive, which means each pixel emits its own light when it receives an electric signal, eliminating the need for a backlight. Since OLED panels can turn off individual pixels, they have deep, inky blacks with no blooming around bright objects. They also have excellent wide viewing angles, a near-instantaneous response time, and excellent gray uniformity.

OLED panels aren"t perfect, though. There"s a risk of permanent burn-in, especially when there are lots of static elements on screen, like the UI elements of a PC. There aren"t many OLED monitors available, either, but they"ve started to gain popularity as laptop screens and for high-end monitors, but they"re very expensive and hard to find. They"re also not very bright in some cases, especially when large bright areas are visible on screen. The technology is still maturing, and advances in OLED technology, like Samsung"s highly-anticipated QD-OLED technology, are promising.

As you can probably tell by now, no one panel type works best for everyone; it all depends on your exact usage. Although there used to be some significant differences between panel types, as technology has improved, these differences aren"t as noticeable. The two exceptions to this are viewing angles and contrast. If you"re in a dark room, a VA panel that can display deep blacks is probably the best choice. If you"re not in a dark room, you should focus on the other features of the monitor and choose based on the features that appeal to your exact usage. IPS panels are generally preferred for office use, and TN typically offers the best gaming experience, but recent advancements in VA and IPS technology are starting to change those generalizations. For the most part, the differences between each panel type are so minor now that it doesn"t need to be directly factored into your buying decision.

An LCD projector is a type of video projector for displaying video, images or computer data on a screen or other flat surface. It is a modern equivalent of the slide projector or overhead projector. To display images, LCD (liquid-crystal display) projectors typically send light from a metal-halide lamp through a prism or series of dichroic filters that separates light to three polysilicon panels – one each for the red, green and blue components of the video signal. As polarized light passes through the panels (combination of polarizer, LCD panel and analyzer), individual pixels can be opened to allow light to pass or closed to block the light. The combination of open and closed pixels can produce a wide range of colors and shades in the projected image.

Because they use small lamps and the ability to project an image on any flat surface, LCD projectors tend to be smaller and more portable than some other types of projection systems. Even so, the best image quality is found using a blank white, grey, or black (which blocks reflected ambient light) surface, so dedicated projection screens are often used.

However, darkest black in a projected image is dependent on how dark the screen is. Because of this, some presenters and presentation-space planners prefer gray screens, which create higher-perceived contrast. The trade-off is that darker backgrounds can throw off color tones. Color problems can sometimes be adjusted through the projector settings, but may not be as accurate as they would on a white background.

Early experiments with liquid crystals to generate a video image were done by John A. van Raalte at the RCA-Laboratories in 1968.CRT with a modified faceplate to generate a charge pattern on its surface. No practical application of this concept for projection purposes is known. However, a similar concept was used for print heads without an LCD.

The first experiments with a direct-driven, transmissive matrix-addressed LCD using a converted slide projector by Peter J. Wild working at Brown Boveri Research in Switzerland were conducted in 1971. A projector was shown in operation at the SID Conference 1972 in San Francisco.thin-film transistors) at the matrix intersections) were not capable of displaying images with sufficient resolution for video pictures, a combination of a fixed image together with an LCD matrix for the variable elements was proposed as an LC projector for certain control room applications,

A lot of effort went into optimizing thin-film transistors (TFT) suitable for active matrix-addressed (AM) LCDs. The concept was invented and early trials were conducted by teams at RCA and Westinghouse Electric. T Peter Brody left Westinghouse and founded Panelvision in 1981 to manufacture AM LCDs. Breakthroughs occurred elsewhere in new materials and thin-film structures, with Hitachi of Japan as a pioneering company. Such AM LCDs became commercially available in the early 1980s.

Gene Dolgoff had the idea of using LCDs as light valves in projectors. However, he had to wait until 1984 to get a digitally-addressable LCD matrix device with sufficient resolution and contrast, which is when he completed building his LCD video projector. After building it, he saw many problems that had to be corrected including major light losses and very noticeable pixels (sometimes referred to as the "screen-door effect"). He then invented new optical methods to create efficient and bright projectors and invented depixelization to reduce the screen-door effect.

At about the same time, the German company "Bonner Ingenieurbüro für Optoelektronik CrystalVision" started experimenting with LCD projection devices from 1985 onwards. Although traditional slide projectors already used infrared filters to reduce heating of the photographic slides, LCDs are much more sensitive to overheating. When the temperature in the nematic liquid crystal layer reaches the "clearing point" (i.e. enters the isotropic phase), the LC light valve does not work anymore until the temperature drops below again. Bernt Haastert, an engineer working at CrystalVision, found out, that placing the required polarizing filters at a certain distance on both sides of the LC cell allowed for efficient air cooling of the arrangement.

With patents filed worldwide (filing his first LCD video projector patent application in 1987), Dolgoff started Projectavision, Inc. in 1988, as one of the world"s first dedicated LCD-projector companies, which he took public on Nasdaq in 1990. He licensed the technology to other companies including Panasonic and Samsung. Early pioneers of LCD projection in Japan were Epson and Sharp,

Since 2005,Epson and Sony. Epson owns the technology and has branded it as "3LCD". To market 3LCD projector technology, Epson also set up a consortium called the "3LCD Group" in 2005 with other projector manufacturer licensees of 3LCD technology that use it in their projector models.

Early LCD systems were used with existing overhead projectors. The LCD system did not have a light source of its own: it was built on a large "plate" that sat on top of the projector in place of transparencies. This provided a stop-gap solution in the era when the computer was not yet a universal display medium, creating a market for LCD projectors before their current main use became popular.

This technology was employed in some sizes of rear-projection television consoles when there was a cost advantages in mid-size sets (40- to 50-inch diagonal). In 2014, 60-inch 1080p flat panel televisions were less costly than a projector with 1080p native resolution. Projection systems were typically marketed as offering a diagonal image size of 100 to 300 inches.

In 2004 and 2005, LCD front projection began a comeback with the introduction of the dynamic iris and other modifications that have improved perceived contrast to levels similar to DLP.

The basic design of an LCD projector is frequently used by hobbyists who build their own DIY (do-it-yourself) projection systems. The basic technique is to combine a high color-rendering index (CRI) high-intensity discharge lamp (HID lamp) and ballast with a condenser and collector Fresnel lens, an LCD removed from a common computer display and a triplet lens.

P.J. Wild, Matrix-addressed liquid crystal projection display, Digest of Technical Papers, International Symposium, Society for Information Display, June 1972, pp. 62-63

Fischetti, Mark (November 2007). "Two Technologies Shine". Two technologies – micromirrors and liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) – have been vying for these markets, but they are doing equally well in today"s home and business areas....

Every year at CES, we get to see some of the most outlandish tech companies can create working prototypes for. It’s like a peek into the future of the consumer electronics industry. Leading the charge on the display front, Samsung Display is usually a centerpiece of attraction at the conference. CES 2023 is no different with the company showcasing what the upcoming implementations of deformable OLED panels could look like.

Samsung Display has been bending OLED arrays to push the envelope for more than a decade, if not earlier. Its latest creation called the Flex Hybrid is a tablet form factor with a display that folds on the left-side rule of third (not unlike the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4) while also featuring an expandable element on the right that curls into the body when retracting. By default, the 10.5-inch (unfolded) screen has a 4:3 aspect ratio which stretches into a 12.4-inch panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio best suited for watching movies, TV shows, and landscape-orientation video.

The brand also has another exhibit using just a sliding mechanism on one or both sides, called the Slidable Flex Solo and Slidable Flex Duet. It previewed this tech last year, but the company has tangible prototypes on display at CES this year. The tech allows a rather portable 13 to 14-inch display to expand to 17.3 inches, allowing for a better multitasking or content consumption experience.

Samsung Display is adding a few products to its revolutionary Quantom Dot OLED lineup introduced last year including a 77-inch TV and a 49-inch ultrawide monitor. The brand also claims there’s AI wizardry at work, helping make 2023 QD-OLED panels sharper and up to 25% more efficient. It supposedly squeezes additional efficiency through a new HyperEfficient EL material incorporated into the blue emitting layer of the new QD-OLED panels, allowing for a brighter backlight and clearer color delivery. There"s a lot of mumbo jumbo that basically tells you everything"s better here, but of course, you"d want to see it with your own eyes to be sure.

Meanwhile, the company also has plans to enter the automotive digital space where it foresees a boom. The first product foraying into the segment is a 43-inch 700R curved display combined with a 15.6-inch screen for vehicle information and passenger infotainment.

If you’ve ever tried to connect an LCD display to an Arduino, you might have noticed that it consumes a lot of pins on the Arduino. Even in 4-bit mode, the Arduino still requires a total of seven connections – which is half of the Arduino’s available digital I/O pins.

The solution is to use an I2C LCD display. It consumes only two I/O pins that are not even part of the set of digital I/O pins and can be shared with other I2C devices as well.

True to their name, these LCDs are ideal for displaying only text/characters. A 16×2 character LCD, for example, has an LED backlight and can display 32 ASCII characters in two rows of 16 characters each.

At the heart of the adapter is an 8-bit I/O expander chip – PCF8574. This chip converts the I2C data from an Arduino into the parallel data required for an LCD display.

If you are using multiple devices on the same I2C bus, you may need to set a different I2C address for the LCD adapter so that it does not conflict with another I2C device.

An important point here is that several companies manufacture the same PCF8574 chip, Texas Instruments and NXP Semiconductors, to name a few. And the I2C address of your LCD depends on the chip manufacturer.

So your LCD probably has a default I2C address 0x27Hex or 0x3FHex. However it is recommended that you find out the actual I2C address of the LCD before using it.

Connecting an I2C LCD is much easier than connecting a standard LCD. You only need to connect 4 pins instead of 12. Start by connecting the VCC pin to the 5V output on the Arduino and GND to ground.

Now we are left with the pins which are used for I2C communication. Note that each Arduino board has different I2C pins that must be connected accordingly. On Arduino boards with the R3 layout, the SDA (data line) and SCL (clock line) are on the pin headers close to the AREF pin. They are also known as A5 (SCL) and A4 (SDA).

After wiring up the LCD you’ll need to adjust the contrast of the display. On the I2C module you will find a potentiometer that you can rotate with a small screwdriver.

Plug in the Arduino’s USB connector to power the LCD. You will see the backlight lit up. Now as you turn the knob on the potentiometer, you will start to see the first row of rectangles. If that happens, Congratulations! Your LCD is working fine.

To drive an I2C LCD you must first install a library called LiquidCrystal_I2C. This library is an enhanced version of the LiquidCrystal library that comes with your Arduino IDE.

The I2C address of your LCD depends on the manufacturer, as mentioned earlier. If your LCD has a Texas Instruments’ PCF8574 chip, its default I2C address is 0x27Hex. If your LCD has NXP Semiconductors’ PCF8574 chip, its default I2C address is 0x3FHex.

So your LCD probably has I2C address 0x27Hex or 0x3FHex. However it is recommended that you find out the actual I2C address of the LCD before using it. Luckily there’s an easy way to do this, thanks to the Nick Gammon.

But, before you proceed to upload the sketch, you need to make a small change to make it work for you. You must pass the I2C address of your LCD and the dimensions of the display to the constructor of the LiquidCrystal_I2C class. If you are using a 16×2 character LCD, pass the 16 and 2; If you’re using a 20×4 LCD, pass 20 and 4. You got the point!

In ‘setup’ we call three functions. The first function is init(). It initializes the LCD object. The second function is clear(). This clears the LCD screen and moves the cursor to the top left corner. And third, the backlight() function turns on the LCD backlight.

After that we set the cursor position to the third column of the first row by calling the function lcd.setCursor(2, 0). The cursor position specifies the location where you want the new text to be displayed on the LCD. The upper left corner is assumed to be col=0, row=0.

There are some useful functions you can use with LiquidCrystal_I2C objects. Some of them are listed below:lcd.home() function is used to position the cursor in the upper-left of the LCD without clearing the display.

lcd.scrollDisplayRight() function scrolls the contents of the display one space to the right. If you want the text to scroll continuously, you have to use this function inside a for loop.

lcd.scrollDisplayLeft() function scrolls the contents of the display one space to the left. Similar to above function, use this inside a for loop for continuous scrolling.

If you find the characters on the display dull and boring, you can create your own custom characters (glyphs) and symbols for your LCD. They are extremely useful when you want to display a character that is not part of the standard ASCII character set.

CGROM is used to store all permanent fonts that are displayed using their ASCII codes. For example, if we send 0x41 to the LCD, the letter ‘A’ will be printed on the display.

CGRAM is another memory used to store user defined characters. This RAM is limited to 64 bytes. For a 5×8 pixel based LCD, only 8 user-defined characters can be stored in CGRAM. And for 5×10 pixel based LCD only 4 user-defined characters can be stored.

After the library is included and the LCD object is created, custom character arrays are defined. The array consists of 8 bytes, each byte representing a row of a 5×8 LED matrix. In this sketch, eight custom characters have been created.

Embedded data is any extra information you would like recorded in your survey data in addition to the question responses. It can be used to store information such as:

The value for your embedded data field can be pulled from data that you have uploaded into a contact list, information appended to the respondent’s survey link, built-in fields provided by Qualtrics, or values set in the survey flow.

Warning: All embedded data field names were previously case-sensitive. For a vast majority of users, embedded data field names are no longercase-sensitive, meaning “test” and “Test” would be treated as the same field. However, we still advise matching cases as a best practice, since there is a small portion of accounts where this change has not been made.

Warning: Embedded data may be visible to individual survey respondents and should not contain sensitive data that a respondent is not intended to view.

Attention: If you are creating your own special embedded data variables, here are some default fields that you should never name an embedded data field (not case-sensitive):

If you name an embedded data field one of these names, you will see the message, “The value for Embedded Data field X is left blank intentionally to prevent issues with survey metadata”, and no data will be recorded for that field. In addition, here is a list of existing embedded data you can use, but cannot set custom values for.

Number: This is a continuous variable type. Values must be in numeric format, and reports can determine both statistical values and counts of individual answers given. For example, you can use a Number embedded data to calculate average age, but also to create a table showing how many 18 year olds were in your study. This type is not compatible with breakouts.

Filter Only: This type of variable is similar to a Text Set type, but allows you to filter your data by text contained within the values, not just exact values and emptiness. For example, you can filter by all departments containing “Sales” in the name, not just Sales.

Qtip: If your data is not displaying, make sure it is compatible with the Embedded Data variable type. For example, text data will not display for a field set to the Number variable type.

A contact list is a mailing list used for distributing surveys many ways on Qualtrics, including email, personal links, and SMS distributions (text messages). In addition to including names and email addresses for each recipient on this list, you can include any demographic or unique data you’d like in a contact list. For example, in addition to name and email, the contact list in the screenshot below includes the embedded data fields Position, State, and Project Number. All we had to do to include this information in the contact list was add those columns of data to our contact file before we imported it.

However, just because the embedded data is in our contact list doesn’t mean it’s automatically included in the survey data. By adding an embedded data element in your survey flow, you can have this information saved in your results for use in your analysis.

Qtip: Although you need an embedded data survey flow element to add embedded data to your recorded results, you do not need this element to use embedded data in piped text, branches, or display logic.

Qtip:Forgot to follow these steps before launching your study? No worries! If there was embedded data in the contact list that you distributed the survey to, you can retroactively add fields to the survey flow after the survey is finished. Note that only embedded data that existed in the contact list at the time of response creation can be retroactively added to the survey flow. Embedded data added to the contact list after response collection cannot be added retroactively to the survey flow and pulled into your data set.

If you’re not distributing your survey to a contact list, you can still bring embedded data into the survey for each respondent by adding your embedded data field names and values to the end of the survey link.

Embedded data can be added to any kind of survey link, and you can add many different embedded data to one link. To learn more with step-by-step instructions, see the Passing Information via Query Strings support page.

In addition to creating your own embedded data variables or pulling them in from other sources, you also have access to some built-in variables that Qualtrics records for every response. These elements can be added to the survey flow before or after you have collected responses by using the steps described in the Creating an Embedded Data Element section. You won’t need to set a value when you use these fields, because each one performs a special function in the responses (described below) and uses this to determine the value. Note that because of this, you will be unable to set custom values for these fields in the survey flow.

This element provides you with the contact ID associated with the respondent who took your survey. Note that this field will be empty if you distribute via an anonymous distribution method.

When using the offline app, this element will record which device was used to record the response. This field must be set in your Offline App and can be updated at any time by clicking the cog in the top-right corner of the app, but it will only affect the DeviceIdentifier for future responses. For more information, visit the Setting Up the Offline App support page.

This element will give you the ID of the contact list (a.k.a. panel) to which each respondent belongs. Matching Panel IDs can be found in the Qualtrics IDs section of Account Settings.

This element allows you to track which language a respondent takes the survey in. This information is reported in the survey data using a two letter language code as discussed in the Available Language Codes section of the Translate Survey page.

This can be used as a URL parameter to pre-populate survey responses. For example, if you wanted to have a survey question asked within an email, the image associated with each answer choice would pass a different value and when the respondent lands on the full survey, the value would already be answered, ready for the respondent to change or submit that response and continue with the rest of the survey. For more information, see How to Use Q_PopulateResponse.

This element allows you to see the total duration (in seconds) of the survey response. This includes time with the survey open, and time spent away from the survey if the user closes out of the survey and returns. This was implemented on July 16, 2012, and is not available for responses recorded before that date.

This element allows you to view the URL first used to access the survey. Note that it omits the base URL, showing only the path and extra URL data. This is a useful tool for diagnosing issues where URL parameters are not recorded as expected.

When you use zip code content validation on a question with a text entry field, you can use Q(State/City)_ExportTag_suffix as embedded data to record the city or state indicated by a zipcode. For example, if your second question asks for the zip code, and you want the state, you’d call the embedded data QState_Q2. If Q2 is a form asking for name, phone number, and lastly zip code, it would be QState_Q2_3, since zip code is the third text field. For more information, see the step-by-step on the Validation support page.

This element shows the page the respondent was on when they clicked the survey link. For most emailed surveys, you will see a URL for the email provider. If the survey is linked to with an automatic redirect, such as a URL redirect at the end of another survey, no value is recorded.

This element will give you the response ID that Qualtrics assigned for that response. This ID can be used in Web Services, API calls, and other applications. This field is not available for imported responses. However, imported responses are still assigned a responseID when imported, and this ID is available in the respondent information section of your dataset.

This element provides information about the respondent’s operating system and browser. For an easier-to-read version of this, consider adding a hidden meta info question to your survey.

A web service allows you to pull data from an external website into your survey. For example, you might want to pull in today’s top headline from CNN or customer details from your own internal database. Information drawn from a web service is saved as embedded data. For an in-depth look at using a web service to draw embedded data from another website, refer to our Web Service page.

Qtip: XM Directory is not the same as CoreXM Contacts. If you do not have access to a brand-wide directory of contacts, you do not need to read the support page on managing and refreshing embedded data.

Qtip:You may not be able to select this field from the list of existing fields. Make sure you type the name of the field exactly the same way it appears in your directory, including the same spelling, spacing, punctuation, and capitalization.

Warning: If you delete an embedded data field after you have collected data, all the embedded data’s values will be permanently deleted from all responses. The only exception is if the embedded data was originally stored in a contact list or query string – then you can add the embedded data field back to the survey flow to retrieve the data. However, you cannot do this with values originally set in the survey flow. Please do not delete embedded data from the survey flow unless you are absolutely sure you want to lose this data, or have not collected any data yet.

If you plan on using query strings, either remove spaces in the names and values of the embedded data you use, or use underscores to prevent yourself from needing to encode spaces in the URL. For example, StoreID and Store_ID can be easier to use with a query string than Store ID.

If your list of embedded data gets long or involves a complex naming system, keep a document somewhere with a list of all your embedded data and what they’re for. That way you can always double-check for spelling, capitalization, and spaces, in addition to the purpose of the field. These documents can also help you, any colleagues you are working with, and any customer support representative you work with troubleshoot when you have questions.

If you are using built-in embedded data fields, you can save the fields in a survey flow embedded data element, as shown below. However, you cannot set values for these fields, because the way respondents complete the survey will determine those fields’ values.

Example: For example, in this survey flow, even if a respondent has a Snack embedded data field that is initially set to Good, the value will be overwritten as Bad because the second embedded data is not nested under the branch logic correctly.

The various LCD Panel blocks are a great way to add a human touch to a ship or base by displaying useful images or text. For LCD configuration and usage, see LCD Surface Options.

Note: Some functional blocks, such as Cockpits, Programmable Blocks, Custom Turret Controllers, and Button Panels, have customizable LCD surfaces built in that work the same way as LCD Panel blocks, which are also discussed in detail under LCD Surface Options.

LCD Panels need to be built on a powered grid to work. Without power, they display an "Offline" text. While powered without having a text, image, or script set up, they display "Online".

LCD Panel blocks come in a variety of sizes from tiny to huge (see list below) and are available for large and small grid sizes. Note that LCD Panel blocks all have connections on their backs, and very few also on a second side.

All LCD Panels and LCD surfaces work with the same principle: They are capable of displaying dynamic scripts, or few inbuilt static images accompanied by editable text. Access the ship"s Control Panel Screen to configure LCD Panels or LCD surfaces; or face the LCD Panel block and press "K".

A Text Panel, despite its name, can also display images. On large grid, it is rectangular and does not fully cover the side of a 1x1x1 block. On small grid it is 1x1x1, the smallest possible LCD block in game.

On large grid, you choose the Text Panel when you need something that has rectangular dimensions that make it look like a wall-mounted TV or computer screen. If you want to display images, this one works best with the built-in posters whose names end in "H" or "V" (for horizontal or vertical rotation). On Small grid, you place these tiny display surfaces so you can see them well while seated in a cockpit or control seat, to create a custom display array of flight and status information around you.

Corner LCDs are much smaller display panels that typically hold a few lines of text. They don"t cover the block you place them on and are best suited as signage for doors, passages, or containers. They are less suitable for displaying images, even though it"s possible. If you enable the "Keep aspect ratio" option, the image will take up less than a third of the available space.

These huge Sci-Fi LCD Panels come in sizes of 5x5, 5x3, and 3x3 blocks, and can be built on large grids only. These panels are only available to build if you purchase the "Sparks of the Future" pack DLC.

They work the same as all other LCD Panels, the only difference is that they are very large. In the scenario that comes with the free "Sparks of the Future" update, they are used prominently as advertisement boards on an asteroid station.

This LCD panel can be built on large and small grids. The transparent LCD is basically a 1x1x1 framed window that displays images and text. It is part of the paid "Decorative Blocks Pack #2" DLC.

What is special about them is that if you set the background color to black, this panel becomes a transparent window with a built-in display. In contrast to other LCD Panels it has no solid backside, which makes it ideal to construct transparent cockpit HUDs, or simply as cosmetic decoration.

While configuring an LCD Panel, the GUI covers up the display in-world and you can"t see how the text or images comes out. In the UI Options, you can lower the UI Background opacity to be translucent, so you can watch what you are doing more easily.